# Gawith, Hoggarth & Co. Brown Bogie



## Jeff10236 (Nov 21, 2010)

OK, it was time for my next sample sent by Indigosmoke. I really have been intrigued by ropes and was looking forward to trying this one.

The smell was very sweet, hard to believe it is an untopped, uncased tobacco. The presentation in the little ropes is just cool (I understand if you buy it by the pound, the presentation is complete with a nail to hold it all together).

I cut it into 3 small coins just under 1/4" thick and then broke them up before packing it into my pipe. The three small coins packed my new pot shaped Mario Grandi to somewhere between 1/2 and 2/3 full. I packed my pipe and then went to McDonalds for a late lunch, so I let it sit for about 30min or so before I smoked it.

On first light it tasted a little hot (it _is_ a pure VA so no real surprise with that). For the first 5 minutes or so I wasn't 100% sure if I liked it or not. It just tasted like hot, toasted tobacco, and none of the sweet flavors I have come to associate with Virginias. However, as I got more into it I really started to like it. More and more of the sweetness and flavors of Virginia tobaccos started to come out. The flavors weren't particularly subtle, nor were there a lot of flavors coming at me other than pure tobacco. It did not taste at all like cigarettes, maybe a little cigar like, but it really just tasted like, well, tobacco. After the first few minutes I did get some of the Virginia sweetness I expected, but not too much so it should be a good tobacco for people who don't like it too sweet.

It lit and stayed lit pretty well. I may have had to relight it 3 or 4 times in the 30 or so minutes I was smoking.

I smoke outside so I can't really comment on the room note, but I did try to smell some of the smoke coming out of the bowl. It is definitely not an aromatic, it just smells like good tobacco, something to keep in mind depending upon who you are smoking around and what you want your room to smell like if you smoke indoors. The strong, straight, tobacco flavor would probably make it a great tobacco for those just coming over from cigars.

One thing I read about and thought I was prepared for, this stuff has a *strong* nicotine hit. You may want to save it for after a larger meal than something off the McDonalds menu. After my 1/2-2/3 full average sized bowl I definitely had a nicotine buzz going- headache, a little light headed, etc. Best for after a full meal, and accompanied by a drink.

I definitely enjoyed this tobacco. I am an aro and English smoker so it won't be an everyday smoke for me, but I do plan to keep some around for when I'm in the mood for something different.


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## shannensmall (Jun 30, 2010)

I'm not too sure about it not having any topping. The more I smoke it the more often I'm picking up on a very small amount of lakeland in it. I've never even as much as gotten a hint of lakeland from the Brown Irish X, but every now and then I do from the Happy Bogie. Especially when first lighting a fresh bowl.


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## FiveStar (Jan 7, 2010)

Love this stuff. The headache/lightheadedness you mention is the very reason I purchased a Peterson Belgique to dedicate to this rope. Small bowl is the way to go.


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## Jeff10236 (Nov 21, 2010)

shannensmall said:


> I'm not too sure about it not having any topping. The more I smoke it the more often I'm picking up on a very small amount of lakeland in it. I've never even as much as gotten a hint of lakeland from the Brown Irish X, but every now and then I do from the Happy Bogie. Especially when first lighting a fresh bowl.


I'll have to watch for that in future bowls, though it is different enough from my usual smoke that it will only be an occasional smoke so it may take a little while to notice.



FiveStar said:


> Love this stuff. The headache/lightheadedness you mention is the very reason I purchased a Peterson Belgique to dedicate to this rope. Small bowl is the way to go.


It was definitely good stuff. I was thinking about a smaller bowl so I could smoke it more often just a couple hours after writing the review. The nic hit wasn't unpleasant until near the end of the smoke and a smaller bowl would alleviate that. Until I get a small bowl briar I'll smoke it out of my MM Mizzou and my little meer, but it would be nice to have a small proportioned briar as well (well, it is a great excuse to buy another pipe  ).


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## shannensmall (Jun 30, 2010)

Yeah I smoke it at least once a day. The topping is very faint, but it's def something I've noticed. Like I said, it's usually only noticeable when first lighting the bowl. I think the flavors and strength of the tobacco quickly cover it up.


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## FiveStar (Jan 7, 2010)

Jeff10236 said:


> I'll have to watch for that in future bowls, though it is different enough from my usual smoke that it will only be an occasional smoke so it may take a little while to notice.
> 
> It was definitely good stuff. I was thinking about a smaller bowl so I could smoke it more often just a couple hours after writing the review. The nic hit wasn't unpleasant until near the end of the smoke and a smaller bowl would alleviate that. Until I get a small bowl briar I'll smoke it out of my MM Mizzou and my little meer, but it would be nice to have a small proportioned briar as well (well, it is a great excuse to buy another pipe  ).


Don't mean to be the whore/pusher on this pipe, but the Belgique I've got really does the trick. And it's shape is reminiscent of an old clay pipe, with the bowl canted ever so slightly forward and a long thin stem. I always figure tobaccos like this would have been smoked out of such pipes, so I kindof feel like I've stepped back in time when I smoke this stuff (except for the fancy xikar I use to slice it up.)

Also, I recommend slicing as mentioned above with a cigar cutter so you can get nice consistent coins. I tend to prefer it in the thickness somewhere between a dime and a nickle. I slice a few coins, rub them out a bit, and let it dry, saving the thinnest shag for tinder on top of the bowl. Sublime!


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## Jeff10236 (Nov 21, 2010)

FiveStar said:


> Don't mean to be the whore/pusher on this pipe, but the Belgique I've got really does the trick. And it's shape is reminiscent of an old clay pipe, with the bowl canted ever so slightly forward and a long thin stem. I always figure tobaccos like this would have been smoked out of such pipes, so I kindof feel like I've stepped back in time when I smoke this stuff (except for the fancy xikar I use to slice it up.)
> 
> Also, I recommend slicing as mentioned above with a cigar cutter so you can get nice consistent coins. I tend to prefer it in the thickness somewhere between a dime and a nickle. I slice a few coins, rub them out a bit, and let it dry, saving the thinnest shag for tinder on top of the bowl. Sublime!


Hmm, a cigar cutter, interesting idea. Didn't really think about that. I used my Puma Earl with stag handles. Beautiful knife, and kind of feels like something the old sailors might have used.

For the pipe for these kinds of high nicotine tobaccos, I'm thinking about the Belgique, but the Peterson Tankard or Barrel seem like good choices as well. I'm also thinking about a Savinelli short pipe, but I haven't seen one in person so I'm not sure how small the bowl is. I used to smoke a clay pipe, funny you mention them, it really would complete the old time feel when smoking a rope, hmm.


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## Kodos44 (Jun 22, 2011)

Thanks for the cigar cutter idea on this. Going into it, I had no idea how to approach this rope to get it into a smokeable format. As a relative newcomer to pipes this was even more intimidating than sliced flakes.

Smoked a packed cob of this last night. NICE. :dizzy: I really think this could be a good baccy type to transition from cigars. The flavors of the Bogie seemed closer to a cigar than any of the blends I have tried that have cigar leaf in them. 

Of course, it could just be my inexperienced palate.hwell:

Scott


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## funbags (Jan 19, 2011)

was only blessed to have smoked only one bowl of the bogie. it was tasty!


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